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Articles of faith would not be so constructed as to admit of the Union of Calvinists' and Socinians,' with members of the Apostolic Church of England.' But then, unfortunately, the tolerant notions of Mr. Butler are under the inspection and control of a Church which does not allow its individual members, and least of all, its lay-members, to interfere with its business of making and enforcing creeds. Till, therefore, we receive proof demonstrative that all the liberal opinions which this gentleman publishes to the world, are maintained and sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church, to which he belongs, we can attach to them no higher value than if they were the opinions of the very parish Clerk of Gandercleuch himself.

What is meant by the Reunion of Christians?" This is an attractive combination of words to stand at the head of a chapter, and holds forth an expectation of a most felicitous event. "But what is meant by it? Evidently, neither more nor less than the submission of all persons professing the religion of Christ, to the authority of the Church of Rome. This is the whole of the proposal, the grand object of every scheme to reunite Christians,' that is exhibited as so magnificent, so consolatory, so desirable, so divine, by the present enlightened and liberal Advocate of a Church that certainly has shewn quite enough of its penchant for unity.

A Reunion of Christians! And to what circumstances are our reflections directed by this significant particle? Is it to those of the disciples who were of one mind and of one heart?—when the pastors of the Christian flock were not lords over the heritage of God, but helpers of their joy, and examples to them that believed; when religion derived no part of its influence or consideration from its alliance to the powers of earth, but exhibited itself as related only to the powers of the world to come; when persuasion, and tears, and prayers, were the only means employed to convert the sinner, and exhortation, and example, and the spirit of purified affection, the only means of controlling the body of the faithful. If to such times and such circumstances we are referred, for the purpose of discovering the remedy for the diversities that prevail in the religious world, to that state of things we would eagerly address all our attention. But what would a Reunion of Christians' formed on those principles, exhibit? All that it would exhibit would be, societies of Christians united together for worship and mutual edification, uncontrolled by temporal patronage, and far removed from the influence of worldly power; Christians who were such, because they believed that only by a spiritual union with Christ could they be saved, and worshippers of the Supreme Majesty, because they were subjects of his grace, and aspirants to his everlasting favour. Such societies would have no bond but the bond of love to unite them:

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their unity would be a unity of affection. authority recognised in any one of their own body as extending over the rest, and external control would be unknown. Such a reunion of Christians, we care not how soon we see. We consider it certainly as possible, and cannot resign the hope, that a day will come when Christians of every name shall once more be brethren, and when the only presiding power over the household of faith, will be the authority of Christ, exhibited, not in the persons of men, but in his word.

But in Mr. Butler's vocabulary, the phrase, Reunion of Christians', has no such meaning. The subjugation of all persons professing Christianity to the Church of Rome, is the proper explanation of the terms. The reception of the Tridentine Decrees, the parcelling out of Europe into provinces and districts, with the requisite number of Bishops and Archbishops, Legates, &c. with all the other means of fettering down the consciences of men, and of dividing and enjoying the products of human labour ad libitum, are the component parts of this goodly fellowship. The model of this incorporation of all Christians, is to be found in the times preceding the Reformation, when the dominion of the Popes was established on the ruins of religion and freedom, and their rule was upheld by fraud and terror.

It is exceedingly curious and amusing, to lay Mr. Butler's proposals for a reunion of Christians, by the side of the documents which he has inserted in this work as descriptive of the Roman Catholic faith. In the former, we read as follows.

The first point to be considered by those who meditate the project of reunion, is its practicability. Those who are disposed to contend for the affirmative, will observe the number of important Articles of Christian faith, in which all Christians are agreed, and the proportionably small number of those in which any Christians disagree.

All Christians believe, 1st. That there is one God; 2d. That he is a Being of infinite perfection; 3d. That he directs all things by his providence; 4th. That it is our duty to love him with all our heart, and our neighbour as ourselves; 5th. That it is our duty to repent of the sins we commit; 6th. That God pardons the truly penitent; 7th. That there is a future state of rewards and punishments, when all mankind shall be judged according to their works; 8th. That God sent his Son into the world to be its Saviour, the Author of eternal salvation to all that obey him: 9th. That he is the true Messiah; 10th. That he taught, worked miracles, suffered, died, and rose again, as is related in the four gospels; 11th. That he will hereafter make a second appearance on the earth, raise all mankind from the dead, judge the world in righteousness, bestow eternal life on the virtuous, and punish the workers of iniquity.

In the belief of these articles, all Christians-Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists, Socinians, and Unitarians, are agreed. In addition to these, each division and subdivision of Christians has its own

tenêts. Now, let each settle among its own members, what are the articles of belief peculiar to them, which, in their cool 'deliberate judgement, they consider as absolutely necessary that a person should believe, to be a member of the Church of Christ; let these articles be 'divested of all foreign matter, and expressed in perspicuous, exact, and unequivocal terms; and above all, let each distinction of Christians earnestly wish to find an agreement between themselves and their fellow-christians -the result of a discussion conducted on this plan, "would most assuredly be, to convince all Christians that the essential articles of religious credence, in which there is a real difference among Christians, are not so numerous as the verbal disputes and extraneous matter in which controversy is too often involved, make them generally "thought.'

Now, in his accouut of the Symbol of Pope Pius the Fourth, Mr. Butler informs us, that every Catliolic who is admitted into the Catholic (Roman) Church, publicly reads and professes his 'assent to it; and this assent he gives in the following terms.

'This true Catholic Faith, out of which none can be saved, which I now freely profess, and truly hold, I N. promise, vow, and swear most constantly, to hold and profess the same whole and entire, with God's assistance to the end of my life. Amen.' p. 9.

And this Faith, ' out of which none can be saved,' and which the subscriber swears that he will hold whole and entire to the "end of his life, contains such Articles as these: I most firmly admit and embrace apostolical and ecclesiastical traditions, and all other constitutions and observances of the same (Roman Catholic) Church.'-'I profess also, that there are truly and properly seven Sacraments. I also receive and admit the Ceremonies of the Catholic Church.'-"I profess likewise, that in the mass is offered to God a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead.'

I constantly hold that there is a purgatory'-' likewise that the Saints are to be honoured and invocated.' I most firmly assert, that the Images of Christ and of the Mother of God ever Virgin, and also of the other saints, are to be had and retained; and that due honour and veneration are to be given to them.'Also, that the power of indulgences was left to the Church.'I promise and swear true obedience to the Roman Bishop Vicar of Jesus Christ.'-'I also condemn, reject, and anathematize, all heresies whatsoever, condemned and anathematized by the Church.'

We should like much to hear Mr. Butler's concessions to Protestant Christians after swearing to such a creed as this. Would he abandon any of the seven Sacraments? Which of them would he discard? Would he give up the Mass and Transubstantiation? Would be strike out Purgatory? How would he modify the oaths of true obedience to the Vicar of Christ? How would he

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qualify the submission promised to the sacred canons and the holy council of Trent? Mr. Butler would surely abandon some half-dozen of the articles of this Creed; and then he would prove to us that, in its present form, it does not contain such a faith as he swears it does contain, namely, a faith out of which none 'can be saved.' But truly Mr. Butler knows that the whole creed, Mass, Images, Purgatory, and all the other articles to which its I profess,' and I receive,' and I swear,' relate, must be held whole and entire to the end of life. Can any thing, then, be more ridiculous than for such a person to propose a plan of reunion among Christians, when he well knows that the Church to which he has subjected his conscience, insists on the unqualified recognition of its usurped authority, and admits of no other basis of discussion than the old principle, sic volo, sic jubeo. Mr. Butler's show of liberal principles we can view as nothing better than a vain parade, its object being, to induce the persuasion that the world has all along been mistaken about Popery, and that good Christians of all denominations would find it very practicable, as well as very pleasant and profitable, to obtain its friendship. We know Popery, however, quite as well as Mr. Butler can teach us to understand it, and we appreciate its blessings. Nor shall we ever consider ourselves as quit of our obligations with the public till we have done all that lies in our power to caution them against the delusion which such books as the one before us would practise upon them. The very first words in Mr. Butler's Introduction, are a sufficient proof of the entire presumption of his representations.

The Catholic Church acknowledges the authority of the Scriptures, and in addition to them, a body of traditionary law she receives both under the authority, and with the interpretation of the Church; and she believes that the authority of the Church in receiv ing and interpreting them, is infallible.'

Now, who does not perceive the absurdity of assuming that an infallible authority can in any of its acts be wrong? Which is unquestionably assumed, if the interpretations of Scripture by the Church' are, in any sense, or in any degree, to be impugned. Whatever this infallible Church' shall dictate and enjoin, must, then, be received with implicit submission. What purpose can Mr. Butler hope to subserve, by making his work the vehicle of liberal sentiments to which the entire system of Popery is in direct hostility?

In this historical and literary account of Confessions of Faith, the reader will meet with concise descriptions of the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds, the Symbolic Books of the Roman Catholic Church, those of the Greek Church, and the Confessions and Articles of the several Protestant Churches. More space is allowed to the documents that relate Vol. XIH. N.S.

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to the Church of Rome, than is occupied by any of the Formularies of the other Churches, and the former it has evidently been an object of the Author's solicitude to exhibit to the best advantage. To some of the statements which occur in this volume, it were easy to urge objections, and occasionally we meet with statements extremely erroneous. That all Churches have separated from the Church of Rome; that it was earnestly wished by the Pope and the Roman Catholic States, that the Protestant princes and their divines should attend the Council of Trent; are allegations which every person will not be disposed to receive as unquestionable verities. The Calvinistic Baptists are stated (page 96) to believe that the soul, from the moment of the death of the body, remains, till the day of general resurrection, in a state of insensibility.' This, certainly, is not the fact with respect to the great body of English Baptists. Mr. Thomas (not Solom) Emlyn should not have been reckoned among the English Baptists. The object of his "Previous Question" was, to invalidate the perpetuity of Baptism.

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Mr. Butler is very anxious to acquaint his readers that, the persecution of the Hugonots in consequence of the revocation of the edict of Nantes, was condemued by the greatest men in France.' He might have told them that it was approved by the greatest men' of Rome. Fenelon, Flechier, and Bossuet, confessedly the ornaments of the Gallican Church,' he is careful to record, lamented it.' He might have added, that it was celebrated as an event of the most joyful nature by the Head of the Romish Church. Flechier, it is well known, approved and applauded the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. That whole circumstance, to use the words of Mosheim, is peculiarly adapted to convince the impartial and attentive observer, that the most solemn oaths, and the most sacred treaties, are never looked upon by this Church and its pontiffs as respectable and obligatory, when the violation of them may contribute to advance their interest, or to accomplish their views.'

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Art. IV. An Essay on the Fall of Man, and the Necessity of a Mediator; proved by Argument from the Coincidence between Reason and Fact, and the combined Agreement of Both with Divine Revelation. By G. Moase. 12mo. pp. 168. Price 4s. London.

1818.

IF

F the writer of this little volume is a young man, and if he shall have the three requisites for the cultivation of the mindmodesty, ardour, and opportunity, we venture to predict that, ten years hence, he may produce something very far superior to this Essay. Such as it is, however, it proves the Author to possess the faculty of thinking, as well as a degree of originality in his way of apprehending his subject. But as a piece of reason

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